Three-dimensional coordinate scanner and method of operation

ABSTRACT

A noncontact optical three-dimensional measuring device that includes a first projector, a first camera, a second projector, and a second camera; a processor electrically coupled to the first projector, the first camera, the second projector, and the second camera; and computer readable media which, when executed by the processor, causes the first digital signal to be collected at a first time and the second digital signal to be collected at a second time different than the first time and determines three-dimensional coordinates of a first point on the surface based at least in part on the first digital signal and the first distance and determines three-dimensional coordinates of a second point on the surface based at least in part on the second digital signal and the second distance.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/932,267 filed on Jul. 1, 2013, which is anonprovisional application of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.61/791,797 filed on Mar. 15, 2013, the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference. The present application is also acontinuation in part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/443,946 filed on Apr. 11, 2012, which is a nonprovisional applicationof U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/592,049 filed on Jan. 30,2012 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/475,703 filed on Apr.15, 2011, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety. The present application is also acontinuation in part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/443,956 filed on Apr. 11, 2012, which is a nonprovisional applicationof U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/592,049 filed on Jan. 30,2012 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/475,703 filed on Apr.15, 2011, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a three-dimensionalcoordinate scanner and in particular to a triangulation-type scannerhaving multiple modalities of data acquisition.

The acquisition of three-dimensional coordinates of an object or anenvironment is known. Various techniques may be used, such astime-of-flight or triangulation methods for example. A time-of-flightsystems such as a laser tracker, total station, or time-of-flightscanner may direct a beam of light such as a laser beam toward aretroreflector target or a spot on the surface of the object. Anabsolute distance meter is used to determine the distance to the targetor spot based on length of time it takes the light to travel to thetarget or spot and return. By moving the laser beam or the target overthe surface of the object, the coordinates of the object may beascertained. Time-of-flight systems have advantages in having relativelyhigh accuracy, but in some cases may be slower than some other systemssince time-of-flight systems must usually measure each point on thesurface individually.

In contrast, a scanner that uses triangulation methods to measurethree-dimensional coordinates projects onto a surface either a patternof light in a line (e.g. a laser line from a laser line probe) or apattern of light covering an area (e.g. structured light). A camera iscoupled to the projector in a fixed relationship, by attaching a cameraand the projector to a common frame for example. The light emitted fromthe projector is reflected off of the surface and detected by thecamera. Since the camera and projector are arranged in a fixedrelationship, the distance to the object may be determined usingtrigonometric principles. Compared to coordinate measurement devicesthat use tactile probes, triangulation systems provide advantages inquickly acquiring coordinate data over a large area. As used herein, theresulting collection of three-dimensional coordinate values provided bythe triangulation system is referred to as a point cloud data or simplya point cloud.

A number of issues may interfere with the acquisition of high accuracypoint cloud data when using a laser scanner. These include, but are notlimited to: variations in the level of light received over the cameraimage plane as a result in variations in the reflectance of the objectsurface or variations in the angle of incidence of the surface relativeto the projected light; low resolution near edge, such as edges ofholes; and multipath interference for example. In some cases, theoperator may be unaware of or unable to eliminate a problem. In thesecases, missing or faulty point cloud data is the result.

Accordingly, while existing scanners are suitable for their intendedpurpose the need for improvement remains, particularly in providing ascanner that can adapt to undesirable conditions and provide improveddata point acquisition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention, a noncontact opticalthree-dimensional measuring device is provided. The noncontact opticalthree-dimensional comprises: an assembly that includes a projector, afirst camera, and a second camera, wherein the projector, the firstcamera, and the second camera are fixed in relation to one another,there being a first distance between the projector and the first cameraand a second distance between the projector and the second camera, theprojector having a light source, the projector configured to emit onto asurface of an object a first light having any of a plurality ofspatially varying patterns, the first camera having a first lens and afirst photosensitive array, the first camera configured to receive afirst portion of the first light reflected off the surface and toproduce a first digital signal in response, the first camera having afirst field of view, the first field of view being a first angularviewing region of the first camera, the second camera having a secondlens and a second photosensitive array, the second camera configured toreceive a second portion of the first light reflected off the surfaceand to produce a second digital signal in response, the second camerahaving a second field of view, the second field of view being a secondangular viewing region of the second camera, the second field of viewbeing different than the first field of view; a processor electricallycoupled to the projector, the first camera and the second camera; andcomputer readable media which, when executed by the processor, causesthe first digital signal to be collected at a first time and the seconddigital signal to be collected at a second time different than the firsttime and determines three-dimensional coordinates of a first point onthe surface based at least in part on the first digital signal and thefirst distance and determines three-dimensional coordinates of a secondpoint on the surface based at least in part on the second digital signaland the second distance.

According to one aspect of the invention, a method of determiningthree-dimensional coordinates on a surface of an object is provided. Themethod comprises: providing an assembly that includes a projector, afirst camera, and a second camera, wherein the projector, the firstcamera, and the second camera are fixed in relation to one another,there being a first distance between the projector and the first cameraand a second distance between the projector and the second camera, theprojector having a light source, the projector configured to emit ontothe surface a first light having any of a plurality of spatially varyingpatterns, the first camera having a first lens and a firstphotosensitive array, the first camera configured to receive a firstportion of the first light reflected off the surface, the first camerahaving a first field of view, the first field of view being a firstangular viewing region of the first camera, the second camera having asecond lens and a second photosensitive array, the second cameraconfigured to receive a second portion of the first light reflected offthe surface, the second camera having a second field of view, the secondfield of view being a second angular viewing region of the secondcamera, the second field of view being different than the first field ofview; providing a processor electrically coupled to the projector, thefirst camera and the second camera; emitting from the projector onto thesurface, in a first instance, the first light having a first patternselected from among the plurality of spatially varying patterns;acquiring in the first instance a first image of the surface with thefirst camera and sending a first digital signal to the processor inresponse; determining a first set of three-dimensional coordinates offirst points on the surface, the first set based at least in part on thefirst pattern, the first digital signal and the first distance; carryingout a diagnostic procedure to evaluate quality of the first set;determining a second pattern of the first light selected from among theplurality of spatially varying patterns, the second pattern based atleast in part on results of the diagnostic procedure; emitting from theprojector onto the surface, in a second instance, the first light havingthe second pattern; acquiring in the second instance a second image ofthe surface with the second camera and sending a second digital signalto the processor in response; and determining a second set ofthree-dimensional coordinates of second points on the surface, thesecond set based at least in part on the second pattern, the seconddigital signal, and the second distance.

These and other advantages and features will become more apparent fromthe following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter, which is regarded as the invention, is particularlypointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion ofthe specification. The foregoing and other features and advantages ofthe invention are apparent from the following detailed description takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top schematic view of a scanner in accordance with anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a method of operating the scanner of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a top schematic view of a scanner in accordance with anotherembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a method of operating the scanner of FIG.3;

FIG. 5A is a schematic view of elements within a laser scanner accordingto an embodiment;

FIG. 5B is a flow chart showing a method of operating a scanneraccording to an embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a top schematic view of a scanner in accordance with anotherembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a method of operating the scanneraccording to an embodiment;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are perspective views of a scanner used in conjunctionwith a remote probe device in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing a method of operating the scanner of FIG.5;

FIG. 10 is top schematic view of a scanner according to an embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing a method of operating the scanner ofFIG. 10; and

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing a diagnostic method according to anembodiment.

The detailed description explains embodiments of the invention, togetherwith advantages and features, by way of example with reference to thedrawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide advantages increasing thereliability and accuracy of three-dimensional coordinates of a datapoint cloud acquired by a scanner. Embodiments of the invention provideadvantages in detecting anomalies in acquired data and automaticallyadjusting the operation of the scanner to acquire the desired results.Embodiments of the invention provide advantages in detecting anomaliesin the acquired data and providing indication to the operator of areaswhere additional data acquisition is needed. Still further embodimentsof the invention provide advantages in detecting anomalies in theacquired data and providing indication to the operator where additionaldata acquisition may be acquired with a remote probe.

Scanner devices acquire three-dimensional coordinate data of objects. Inone embodiment, a scanner 20 shown in FIG. 1 has a housing 22 thatincludes a first camera 24, a second camera 26 and a projector 28. Theprojector 28 emits light 30 onto a surface 32 of an object 34. In theexemplary embodiment, the projector 28 uses a visible light source thatilluminates a pattern generator. The visible light source may be alaser, a superluminescent diode, an incandescent light, a Xenon lamp, alight emitting diode (LED), or other light emitting device for example.In one embodiment, the pattern generator is a chrome-on-glass slidehaving a structured light pattern etched thereon. The slide may have asingle pattern or multiple patterns that move in and out of position asneeded. The slide may be manually or automatically installed in theoperating position. In other embodiments, the source pattern may belight reflected off or transmitted by a digital micro-mirror device(DMD) such as a digital light projector (DLP) manufactured by TexasInstruments Corporation, a liquid crystal device (LCD), a liquid crystalon silicon (LCOS) device, or a similar device used in transmission moderather than reflection mode. The projector 28 may further include a lenssystem 36 that alters the outgoing light to cover the desired area.

In this embodiment, the projector 28 is configurable to emit astructured light over an area 37. As used herein, the term “structuredlight” refers to a two-dimensional pattern of light projected onto anarea of an object that conveys information which may be used todetermine coordinates of points on the object. In one embodiment, astructured light pattern will contain at least three non-collinearpattern elements disposed within the area. Each of the threenon-collinear pattern elements conveys information which may be used todetermine the point coordinates. In another embodiment, a projector isprovided that is configurable to project both an area pattern as well asa line pattern. In one embodiment, the projector is a digitalmicromirror device (DMD), which is configured to switch back and forthbetween the two. In one embodiment, the DMD projector may also sweep aline or to sweep a point in a raster pattern.

In general, there are two types of structured light patterns, a codedlight pattern and an uncoded light pattern. As used herein a coded lightpattern is one in which the three dimensional coordinates of anilluminated surface of the object are found by acquiring a single image.With a coded light pattern, it is possible to obtain and register pointcloud data while the projecting device is moving relative to the object.One type of coded light pattern contains a set of elements (e.g.geometric shapes) arranged in lines where at least three of the elementsare non-collinear. Such pattern elements are recognizable because oftheir arrangement.

In contrast, an uncoded structured light pattern as used herein is apattern that does not allow measurement through a single pattern. Aseries of uncoded light patterns may be projected and imagedsequentially. For this case, it is usually necessary to hold theprojector fixed relative to the object.

It should be appreciated that the scanner 20 may use either coded oruncoded structured light patterns. The structured light pattern mayinclude the patterns disclosed in the journal article “DLP-BasedStructured Light 3D Imaging Technologies and Applications” by Jason Gengpublished in the Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 7932, which is incorporatedherein by reference. In addition, in some embodiments described hereinbelow, the projector 28 transmits a pattern formed a swept line of lightor a swept point of light. Swept lines and points of light provideadvantages over areas of light in identifying some types of anomaliessuch as multipath interference. Sweeping the line automatically whilethe scanner is held stationary also has advantages in providing a moreuniform sampling of surface points.

The first camera 24 includes a photosensitive sensor 44 which generatesa digital image/representation of the area 48 within the sensor's fieldof view. The sensor may be charged-coupled device (CCD) type sensor or acomplementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) type sensor for examplehaving an array of pixels. The first camera 24 may further include othercomponents, such as but not limited to lens 46 and other optical devicesfor example. The lens 46 has an associated first focal length. Thesensor 44 and lens 46 cooperate to define a first field of view “X”. Inthe exemplary embodiment, the first field of view “X” is 16 degrees(0.28 inch per inch).

Similarly, the second camera 26 includes a photosensitive sensor 38which generates a digital image/representation of the area 40 within thesensor's field of view. The sensor may be charged-coupled device (CCD)type sensor or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) typesensor for example having an array of pixels. The second camera 26 mayfurther include other components, such as but not limited to lens 42 andother optical devices for example. The lens 42 has an associated secondfocal length, the second focal length being different than the firstfocal length. The sensor 38 and lens 42 cooperate to define a secondfield of view “Y”. In the exemplary embodiment, the second field of view“Y” is 50 degrees (0.85 inch per inch). The second field of view Y islarger than the first field of view X. Similarly, the area 40 is largerthan the area 48. It should be appreciated that a larger field of viewallows acquired a given region of the object surface 32 to be measuredfaster; however, if the photosensitive arrays 44 and 38 have the samenumber of pixels, a smaller field of view will provide higherresolution.

In the exemplary embodiment, the projector 28 and the first camera 24are arranged in a fixed relationship at an angle such that the sensor 44may receive light reflected from the surface of the object 34.Similarly, the projector 28 and the second camera 26 are arranged in afixed relationship at an angle such that the sensor 38 may receive lightreflected from the surface 32 of object 34. Since the projector 28,first camera 24 and second camera 26 have fixed geometric relationships,the distance and the coordinates of points on the surface may bedetermined by their trigonometric relationships. Although thefields-of-view (FOVs) of the cameras 24 and 26 are shown not to overlapin FIG. 1, the FOVs may partially overlap or totally overlap.

The projector 28 and cameras 24, 26 are electrically coupled to acontroller 50 disposed within the housing 22. The controller 50 mayinclude one or more microprocessors, digital signal processors, memoryand signal conditioning circuits. The scanner 20 may further includeactuators (not shown) which may be manually activated by the operator toinitiate operation and data capture by the scanner 20. In oneembodiment, the image processing to determine the X, Y, Z coordinatedata of the point cloud representing the surface 32 of object 34 isperformed by the controller 50. The coordinate data may be storedlocally such as in a volatile or nonvolatile memory 54 for example. Thememory may be removable, such as a flash drive or a memory card forexample. In other embodiments, the scanner 20 has a communicationscircuit 52 that allows the scanner 20 to transmit the coordinate data toa remote processing system 56. The communications medium 58 between thescanner 20 and the remote processing system 56 may be wired (e.g.Ethernet) or wireless (e.g. Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11). In one embodiment,the coordinate data is determined by the remote processing system 56based on acquired images transmitted by the scanner 20 over thecommunications medium 58.

A relative motion is possible between the object surface 32 and thescanner 20, as indicated by the bidirectional arrow 47. There areseveral ways in which such relative motion may be provided. In anembodiment, the scanner is a handheld scanner and the object 34 isfixed. Relative motion is provided by moving the scanner over the objectsurface. In another embodiment, the scanner is attached to a robotic endeffector. Relative motion is provided by the robot as it moves thescanner over the object surface. In another embodiment, either thescanner 20 or the object 34 is attached to a moving mechanicalmechanism, for example, a gantry coordinate measurement machine or anarticulated arm CMM. Relative motion is provided by the movingmechanical mechanism as it moves the scanner 20 over the object surface.In some embodiments, motion is provided by the action of an operator andin other embodiments, motion is provided by a mechanism that is undercomputer control.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the operation of the scanner 20 according to amethod 1260 is described. As shown in block 1262, the projector 28 firstemits a structured light pattern onto the area 37 of surface 32 of theobject 34. The light 30 from projector 28 is reflected from the surface32 as reflected light 62 received by the second camera 26. Thethree-dimensional profile of the surface 32 affects the image of thepattern captured by the photosensitive array 38 within the second camera26. Using information collected from one or more images of the patternor patterns, the controller 50 or the remote processing system 56determines a one to one correspondence between the pixels of thephotosensitive array 38 and pattern of light emitted by the projector28. Using this one-to-one correspondence, triangulation principals areused to determine the three-dimensional coordinates of points on thesurface 32. This acquisition of three-dimensional coordinate data (pointcloud data) is shown in block 1264. By moving the scanner 20 over thesurface 32, a point cloud may be created of the entire object 34.

During the scanning process, the controller 50 or remote processingsystem 56 may detect an undesirable condition or problem in the pointcloud data, as shown in block 1266. Methods for detecting such a problemare discussed hereinbelow with regard to FIG. 12. The detected problemmay be an error in or absence of point cloud data in a particular areafor example. This error in or absence of data may be caused by toolittle or too much light reflected from that area. Too little or toomuch reflected light may result from a difference in reflectance overthe object surface, for example, as a result of high or variable anglesof incidence of the light 30 on the object surface 32 or as a result oflow reflectance (black or transparent) materials or shiny surfaces.Certain points on the object may be angled in such as way as to producea very bright specular reflectance known as a glint.

Another possible reason for an error in or absence of point cloud datais a lack of resolution in regions having fine features, sharp edges, orrapid changes in depth. Such lack of resolution may be the result of ahole, for example.

Another possible reason for an error in or an absence of point clouddata is multipath interference. Ordinarily a ray of light from theprojector 28 strikes a point on the surface 32 and is scattered over arange of angles. The scattered light is imaged by the lens 42 of camera26 onto a small spot on the photosensitive array 38. Similarly, thescattered light may be imaged by the lens 46 of camera 24 onto a smallspot on the photosensitive array 44. Multipath interference occurs whenthe light reaching the point on the surface 32 does not come only fromthe ray of light from the projector 28 but in addition, from secondarylight is reflected off another portion of the surface 32. Such secondarylight may compromise the pattern of light received by the photosensitivearray 38, 44, thereby preventing accurate determination ofthree-dimensional coordinates of the point. Methods for identifying thepresence of multipath interference are described in the presentapplication with regard to FIG. 12.

If the controller determines that the point cloud is all right in block1266, the procedure is finished. Otherwise, a determination is made inblock 1268 of whether the scanner is used in a manual or automated mode.If the mode is manual, the operator is directed in block 1270 to movethe scanner into the desired position.

There are many ways that the movement desired by the operator may beindicated. In an embodiment, indicator lights on the scanner bodyindicate the desired direction of movement. In another embodiment, alight is projected onto the surface indicating the direction over whichthe operator is to move. In addition, a color of the projected light mayindicate whether the scanner is too close or too far from the object. Inanother embodiment, an indication is made on display of the region towhich the operator is to project the light. Such a display may be agraphical representation of point cloud data, a CAD model, or acombination of the two. The display may be presented on a computermonitor or on a display built into the scanning device.

In any of these embodiments, a method of determining the approximateposition of the scanner is desired. In one case, the scanner may beattached to an articulated arm CMM that uses angular encoders in itsjoints to determine the position and orientation of the scanner attachedto its end. In another case, the scanner includes inertial sensorsplaced within the device. Inertial sensors may include gyroscopes,accelerometers, and magnetometers, for example. Another method ofdetermining the approximate position of the scanner is to illuminatephotogrammetric dots placed on or around the object as marker points. Inthis way, the wide FOV camera in the scanner can determine theapproximate position of the scanner in relation to the object.

In another embodiment, a CAD model on a computer screen indicates theregions where additional measurements are desired, and the operatormoves the scanner according by matching the features on the object tothe features on the scanner. By updating the CAD model on the screen asa scan is taken, the operator may be given rapid feedback whether thedesired regions of the part have been measured.

After the operator has moved the scanner into position, a measurement ismade in block 1272 with the small FOV camera 24. By viewing a relativelysmaller region in block 1272, the resolution of the resultingthree-dimensional coordinates is improved and better capability isprovided to characterize features such as holes and edges.

Because the narrow FOV camera views a relatively smaller region than thewide FOV camera, the projector 28 may illuminate a relatively smallerregion. This has advantages in eliminating multipath interference sincethere is relatively fewer illuminated points on the object that canreflect light back onto the object. Having a smaller illuminated regionmay also make it easier to control exposure to obtain the optimum amountof light for a given reflectance and angle of incidence of the objectunder test. In the block 1274, if all points have been collected, theprocedure ends at block 1276; otherwise it continues.

In an embodiment where the mode from block 1268 is automated, then inblock 1278 the automated mechanism moves the scanner into the desiredposition. In some embodiments, the automated mechanism will have sensorsto provide information about the relative position of the scanner andobject under test. For an embodiment in which the automated mechanism isa robot, angular transducers within the robot joints provide informationabout the position and orientation of the robot end effector used tohold the scanner. For an embodiment in which the object is moved byanother type of automated mechanism, linear encoders or a variety ofother sensors may provide information on the relative position of theobject and the scanner.

After the automated mechanism has moved the scanner or object intoposition, then in block 1280 three-dimensional measurements are madewith the small FOV camera. Such measurements are repeated by means ofblock 1282 until all measurements are completed and the procedurefinishes at block 1284.

In one embodiment, the projector 28 changes the structured light patternwhen the scanner switches from acquiring data with the second camera 26to the first camera 24. In another embodiment, the same structured lightpattern is used with both cameras 24, 26. In still another embodiment,the projector 28 emits a pattern formed by a swept line or point whenthe data is acquired by the first camera 24. After acquiring data withthe first camera 24, the process continues scanning using the secondcamera 26. This process continues until the operator has either scannedthe desired area of the part.

It should be appreciated that while the process of FIG. 2 is shown as alinear or sequential process, in other embodiments one or more of thesteps shown may be executed in parallel. In the method shown in FIG. 2,the method involved measuring the entire object first and then carryingout further detailed measurements according to an assessment of theacquired point cloud data. An alternative using the scanner 20 is tobegin by measuring detailed or critical regions using the camera 24having the small FOV.

It should also be appreciated that it is common practice in existingscanning systems to provide a way of changing the camera lens orprojector lens as a way of changing the FOV of the camera or ofprojector in the scanning system. However, such changes are timeconsuming and typically require an additional compensation step in whichan artifact such as a dot plate is placed in front of the camera orprojector to determine the aberration correction parameters for thecamera or projector system. Hence a scanning system that provides twocameras having different FOVs, such as the cameras 24, 26 of FIG. 1,provides a significant advantage in measurement speed and in enablementof the scanner for a fully automated mode.

Another embodiment is shown in FIG. 3 of a scanner 20 having a housing22 that includes a first coordinate acquisition system 76 and a secondcoordinate acquisition system 78. The first coordinate acquisitionsystem 76 includes a first projector 80 and a first camera 82. Similarto the embodiment of FIG. 1, the projector 80 emits light 84 onto asurface 32 of an object 34. In the exemplary embodiment, the projector80 uses a visible light source that illuminates a pattern generator. Thevisible light source may be a laser, a superluminescent diode, anincandescent light, a light emitting diode (LED), or other lightemitting device. In one embodiment, the pattern generator is achrome-on-glass slide having a structured light pattern etched thereon.The slide may have a single pattern or multiple patterns that move inand out of position as needed. The slide may be manually orautomatically installed in the operating position. In other embodiments,the source pattern may be light reflected off or transmitted by adigital micro-mirror device (DMD) such as a digital light projector(DLP) manufactured by Texas Instruments Corporation, a liquid crystaldevice (LCD), a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) device, or a similardevice used in transmission mode rather than reflection mode. Theprojector 80 may further include a lens system 86 that alters theoutgoing light to have the desired focal characteristics.

The first camera 82 includes a photosensitive array sensor 88 whichgenerates a digital image/representation of the area 90 within thesensor's field of view. The sensor may be charged-coupled device (CCD)type sensor or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) typesensor for example having an array of pixels. The first camera 82 mayfurther include other components, such as but not limited to lens 92 andother optical devices for example. The first projector 80 and firstcamera 82 are arranged at an angle in a fixed relationship such that thefirst camera 82 may detect light 85 from the first projector 80reflected off of the surface 32 of object 34. It should be appreciatedthat since the first camera 92 and first projector 80 are arranged in afixed relationship, the trigonometric principals discussed above may beused to determine coordinates of points on the surface 32 within thearea 90. Although for clarity FIG. 3 is depicted as having the firstcamera 82 near to the first projector 80, it should be appreciated thatthe camera could be placed nearer the other side of the housing 22. Byspacing the first camera 82 and first projector 80 farther apart,accuracy of 3D measurement is expected to improve.

The second coordinate acquisition system 78 includes a second projector94 and a second camera 96. The projector 94 has a light source that maycomprise a laser, a light emitting diode (LED), a superluminescent diode(SLED), a Xenon bulb, or some other suitable type of light source. In anembodiment, a lens 98 is used to focus the light received from the laserlight source into a line of light 100 and may comprise one or morecylindrical lenses, or lenses of a variety of other shapes. The lens isalso referred to herein as a “lens system” because it may include one ormore individual lenses or a collection of lenses. The line of light issubstantially straight, i.e., the maximum deviation from a line will beless than about 1% of its length. One type of lens that may be utilizedby an embodiment is a rod lens. Rod lenses are typically in the shape ofa full cylinder made of glass or plastic polished on the circumferenceand ground on both ends. Such lenses convert collimated light passingthrough the diameter of the rod into a line. Another type of lens thatmay be used is a cylindrical lens. A cylindrical lens is a lens that hasthe shape of a partial cylinder. For example, one surface of acylindrical lens may be flat, while the opposing surface is cylindricalin form.

In another embodiment, the projector 94 generates a two-dimensionalpattern of light that covers an area of the surface 32. The resultingcoordinate acquisition system 78 is then referred to as a structuredlight scanner.

The second camera 96 includes a sensor 102 such as a charge-coupleddevice (CCD) type sensor or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor(CMOS) type sensor for example. The second camera 96 may further includeother components, such as but not limited to lens 104 and other opticaldevices for example. The second projector 94 and second camera 96 arearranged at an angle such that the second camera 96 may detect light 106from the second projector 94 reflected off of the object 34. It shouldbe appreciated that since the second projector 94 and the second camera96 are arranged in a fixed relationship, the trigonometric principlesdiscussed above may be used to determine coordinates of points on thesurface 32 on the line formed by light 100. It should also beappreciated that the camera 96 and the projector 94 may be located onopposite sides of the housing 22 to increase 3D measurement accuracy.

In another embodiment, the second coordinate acquisition system isconfigured to project a variety of patterns, which may include not onlya fixed line of light but also a swept line of light, a swept point oflight, a coded pattern of light (covering an area), or a sequentialpattern of light (covering an area). Each type of projection pattern hasdifferent advantages such as speed, accuracy, and immunity to multipathinterference. By evaluating the performance requirements for eachparticular measurements and/or by reviewing the characteristics of thereturned data or of the anticipated object shape (from CAD models orfrom a 3D reconstruction based on collected scan data), it is possibleto select the type of projected pattern that optimizes performance.

In another embodiment, the distance from the second coordinateacquisition system 78 and the object surface 32 is different than thedistance from the first coordinate acquisition system 76 and the objectsurface 32. For example, the camera 96 may be positioned closer to theobject 32 than the camera 88. In this way, the resolution and accuracyof the second coordinate acquisition system 78 can be improved relativeto that of the first coordinate acquisition system 76. In many cases, itis helpful to quickly scan a relatively large and smooth object with alower resolution system 76 and then scan details including edges andholes with a higher resolution system 78.

A scanner 20 may be used in a manual mode or in an automated mode. In amanual mode, an operator is prompted to move the scanner nearer orfarther from the object surface according to the acquisition system thatis being used. Furthermore, the scanner 20 may project a beam or patternof light indicating to the operator the direction in which the scanneris to be moved. Alternatively, indicator lights on the device mayindicate the direction in which the scanner should be moved. In anautomated mode, the scanner 20 or object 34 may be automatically movedrelative to one another according to the measurement requirements.

Similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1, the first coordinate acquisitionsystem 76 and the second coordinate acquisition system 78 areelectrically coupled to a controller 50 disposed within the housing 22.The controller 50 may include one or more microprocessors, digitalsignal processors, memory and signal conditioning circuits. The scanner20 may further include actuators (not shown) which may be manuallyactivated by the operator to initiate operation and data capture by thescanner 20. In one embodiment, the image processing to determine the X,Y, Z coordinate data of the point cloud representing the surface 32 ofobject 34 is performed by the controller 50. The coordinate data may bestored locally such as in a volatile or nonvolatile memory 54 forexample. The memory may be removable, such as a flash drive or a memorycard for example. In other embodiments, the scanner 20 has acommunications circuit 52 that allows the scanner 20 to transmit thecoordinate data to a remote processing system 56. The communicationsmedium 58 between the scanner 20 and the remote processing system 56 maybe wired (e.g. Ethernet) or wireless (e.g. Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11). Inone embodiment, the coordinate data is determined by the remoteprocessing system 56 and the scanner 20 transmits acquired images on thecommunications medium 58.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the method 1400 of operating the scanner 20 ofFIG. 3 will be described. In block 1402, the first projector 80 of thefirst coordinate acquisition system 76 of scanner 20 emits a structuredlight pattern onto the area 90 of surface 32 of the object 34. The light84 from projector 80 is reflected from the surface 32 and the reflectedlight 85 is received by the first camera 82. As discussed above, thevariations in the surface profile of the surface 32 create distortionsin the imaged pattern of light received by the first photosensitivearray 88. Since the pattern is formed by structured light, a line orlight, or a point of light, it is possible in some instances for thecontroller 50 or the remote processing system 56 to determine a one toone correspondence between points on the surface 32 and the pixels inthe photosensitive array 88. This enables triangulation principlesdiscussed above to be used in block 1404 to obtain point cloud data,which is to say to determine X, Y, Z coordinates of points on thesurface 32. By moving the scanner 20 relative to the surface 32, a pointcloud may be created of the entire object 34.

In block 1406, the controller 50 or remote processing system 56determines whether the point cloud data possesses the desired dataquality attributes or has a potential problem. The types of problemsthat may occur were discussed hereinabove in reference to FIG. 2 andthis discussion is not repeated here. If the controller determines thatthe point cloud has the desired data quality attributes in block 1406,the procedure is finished. Otherwise, a determination is made in block1408 of whether the scanner is used in a manual or automated mode. Ifthe mode is manual, the operator is directed in block 1410 to move thescanner to the desired position.

There are several ways of indicating the desired movement by theoperator as described hereinabove with reference to FIG. 2. Thisdiscussion is not repeated here.

To direct the operator in obtaining the desired movement, a method ofdetermining the approximate position of the scanner is needed. Asexplained with reference to FIG. 2, methods may include attachment ofthe scanner 20 to an articulated arm CMM, use of inertial sensors withinthe scanner 20, illumination of photogrammetric dots, or matching offeatures to a displayed image.

After the operator has moved the scanner into position, a measurement ismade with the second coordinate acquisition system 78 in block 1412. Byusing the second coordinate acquisition system, resolution and accuracymay be improved or problems may be eliminated. In block 1414, if allpoints have been collected, the procedure ends at block 1416; otherwiseit continues.

If the mode of operation from block 1408 is automated, then in block1418 the automated mechanism moves the scanner into the desiredposition. In most cases, an automated mechanism will have sensors toprovide information about the relative position of the scanner andobject under test. For the case in which the automated mechanism is arobot, angular transducers within the robot joints provide informationabout the position and orientation of the robot end effector used tohold the scanner. For other types of automated mechanisms, linearencoders or a variety of other sensors may provide information on therelative position of the object and the scanner.

After the automated mechanism has moved the scanner or object intoposition, then in block 1420 three-dimensional measurements are madewith the second coordinate acquisition system 78. Such measurements arerepeated by means of block 1422 until all measurements are completed.The procedure finishes at block 1424.

It should be appreciated that while the process of FIG. 4 is shown as alinear or sequential process, in other embodiments one or more of thesteps shown may be executed in parallel. In the method shown in FIG. 4,the method involved measuring the entire object first and then carryingout further detailed measurements according to an assessment of theacquired point cloud data. An alternative using scanner 20 is to beginby measuring detailed or critical regions using the second coordinateacquisition system 78.

It should also be appreciated that it is common practice in existingscanning systems to provide a way of changing the camera lens orprojector lens as a way of changing the FOV of the camera or ofprojector in the scanning system. However, such changes are timeconsuming and typically require an additional compensation step in whichan artifact such as a dot plate is placed in front of the camera orprojector to determine the aberration correction parameters for thecamera or projector system. Hence a system that provides two differentcoordinate acquisition systems such as the scanning system 20 of FIG. 3provides a significant advantage in measurement speed and in enablementof the scanner for a fully automated mode.

An error may occur in making scanner measurements as a result ofmultipath interference. The origin of multipath interference is nowdiscussed, and a first method for eliminating or reducing multipathinterference is described.

The case of multipath interference occurs when the some of the lightthat strikes the object surface is first scattered off another surfaceof the object before returning to the camera. For the point on theobject that receives this scattered light, the light sent to thephotosensitive array then corresponds not only to the light directlyprojected from the projector but also to the light sent to a differentpoint on the projector and scattered off the object. The result ofmultipath interference, especially for the case of scanners that projecttwo-dimensional (structured) light, may be to cause the distancecalculated from the projector to the object surface at that point to beinaccurate.

An instance of multipath interference is illustrated in reference toFIG. 5A, in this embodiment a scanner 4570 projects a line of light 4525onto the surface 4510A of an object. The line of light 4525 isperpendicular to the plane of the paper. In an embodiment, the rows of aphotosensitive array are parallel to the plane of the paper and thecolumns are perpendicular to the plane of the paper. Each row representsone point on the projected line 4525 in the direction perpendicular tothe plane of the paper. The distance from the projector to the objectfor that point on the line is found by first calculating the centroidfor each row. For the surface point 4526, the centroid on thephotosensitive array 4541 is represented by the point 4546. The position4546 of the centroid on the photosensitive array can be used tocalculate the distance from the camera perspective center 4544 to theobject point 4526. This calculation is based on trigonometricrelationships according to the principles of triangulation. To performthese calculations, the baseline distance D from the camera perspectivecenter 4544 to the projector perspective center 4523 is required. Inaddition, knowledge of the relative orientation of the projector system4520 to the camera system 4540 is required.

To understand the error caused by multipath interference, consider thepoint 4527. Light reflected or scattered from this point is imaged bythe lens 4542 onto the point 4548 on the photosensitive array 4541.However, in addition to the light received directly from the projectorand scattered off the point 4527, additional light is reflected off thepoint 4526 onto the point 4527 before being imaged onto thephotosensitive array. The light will mostly likely be scattered to anunexpected position and cause two centroids to be formed in a given row.Consequently observation of two centroids on a given row is a goodindicator of the presence of multipath interference.

For the case of structured light projected onto an area of the objectsurface, a secondary reflection from a point such as 4527 is not usuallyas obvious as for light projected onto a line and hence is more likelyto create an error in the measured 3D surface coordinates.

By using a projector having an adjustable pattern of illumination on adisplay element 4521, it is possible to vary the pattern ofillumination. The display element 4521 might be a digitalmicromechanical mirror (DMM) such as a digital light projector (DLP).Such devices contain multiple small mirrors that are rapidly adjustableby means of an electrical signal to rapidly adjust a pattern ofillumination. Other devices that can produce an electrically adjustabledisplay pattern include an LCD (liquid crystal display) and an LCOS(liquid crystal on silicon) display.

A way of checking for multipath interference in a system that projectsstructured light over an area is to change the display to project a lineof light. The presence of multiple centroids in a row will indicate thatmultipath interference is present. By sweeping the line of light, anarea can be covered without requiring that the probe be moved by anoperator.

The line of light can be set to any desired angle by an electricallyadjustable display. By changing the direction of the projected line oflight, multipath interference can, in many cases, be eliminated.

For surfaces having many fold and steep angles so that reflections arehard to avoid, the electrically adjustable display can be used to sweepa point of light. In some cases, a secondary reflection may be producedfrom a single point of light, but it is usually relatively easy todetermine which of the reflected spots of light is valid.

An electrically adjustable display can also be used to quickly switchbetween a coded and an uncoded pattern. In most cases, a coded patternis used to make a 3D measurement based on a single frame of camerainformation. On the other hand, multiple patterns (sequential or uncodedpatterns) may be used to obtain greater accuracy in the measured 3Dcoordinate values.

In the past, electrically adjustable displays have been used to projecteach of a series of patterns within a sequential pattern—for example, aseries of gray scale line patterns followed by a sequence of sinusoidalpatterns, each having a different phase.

The present inventive method provides advantages over earlier methods inselecting those methods that identify or eliminate problems such asmultipath interference and that indicate whether a single-shot pattern(for example, coded pattern) or a multiple-shot pattern is preferred toobtain the required accuracy as quickly as possible.

For the case of a line scanner, there is often a way to determine thepresence of multipath interference. When multipath interference is notpresent, the light reflected by a point on the object surface is imagedin a single row onto a region of contiguous pixels. If there are two ormore regions of a row receive a significant amount of light, multipathinterference is indicated. An example of such a multipath interferencecondition and the resulting extra region of illumination on thephotosensitive array are shown in FIG. 5A. The surface 4510A now has agreater curvature near the point of intersection 4526. The surfacenormal at the point of intersection is the line 4528, and the angle ofincidence is 4531. The direction of the reflected line of light 4529 isfound from the angle of reflection 4532, which is equal to the angle ofincidence. As stated hereinabove, the line of light 4529 actuallyrepresents an overall direction for light that scatters over a range ofangles. The center of the scattered light strikes the surface 4510A atthe point 4527, which is imaged by the lens 4544 at the point 4548 onthe photosensitive array. The unexpectedly high amount of light receivedin the vicinity of point 4548 indicates that multipath interference isprobably present. For a line scanner, the main concern with multipathinterference is not for the case shown in FIG. 5A, where the two spots4546 and 4527 are separated by a considerable distance and can beanalyzed separately but rather for the case in which the two spotsoverlap or smear together. In this case, it may not be possible todetermine the centroid corresponding to the desired point, which in FIG.15E corresponds to the point 4546. The problem is made worse for thecase of a scanner that projects light over a two-dimensional area as canbe understood by again referring to FIG. 5A. If all of the light imagedonto the photosensitive array 4541 were needed to determinetwo-dimensional coordinates, then it is clear that the light at thepoint 4527 would correspond to the desired pattern of light directlyprojected from the projector as well as the unwanted light reflected offthe object surface to the point 4527. As a result, in this case, thewrong three dimensional coordinates would likely be calculated for thepoint 4527 for light projected over an area.

For a projected line of light, in many cases, it is possible toeliminate multipath interference by changing the direction of the line.One possibility is to make a line scanner using a projector havinginherent two-dimensional capability, thereby enabling the line to beswept or to be automatically rotated to different directions. An exampleof such a projector is one that makes use of a digital micromirror(DMD), as discussed hereinabove. For example, if multipath interferencewere suspected in a particular scan obtained with structured light, ameasurement system could be automatically configured to switch to ameasurement method using a swept line of light.

Another method to reduce, minimize or eliminate multipath interferenceis to sweep a point of light, rather than a line of light or an area oflight, over those regions for which multipath interference has beenindicated. By illuminating a single point of light, any light scatteredfrom a secondary reflection can usually be readily identified.

The determination of the desired pattern projected by an electricaladjustable display benefits from a diagnostic analysis, as describedwith respect to FIG. 12 below.

Besides its use in diagnosing and correcting multipath interference,changing the pattern of projected light also provides advantages inobtaining a required accuracy and resolution in a minimum amount oftime. In an embodiment, a measurement is first performed by projecting acoded pattern of light onto an object in a single shot. Thethree-dimensional coordinates of the surface are determined using thecollected data, and the results analyzed to determine whether someregions have holes, edges, or features that require more detailedanalysis. Such detailed analysis might be performed for example by usingthe narrow FOV camera 24 in FIG. 1 or the high resolution scanner system78 in FIG. 3.

The coordinates are also analyzed to determine the approximate distanceto the target, thereby providing a starting distance for a more accuratemeasurement method such as a method that sequentially projectssinusoidal phase-shifted patterns of light onto a surface, as discussedhereinabove. Obtaining a starting distance for each point on the surfaceusing the coded light pattern eliminates the need to obtain thisinformation by vary the pitch in multiple sinusoidal phase-shiftedscans, thereby saving considerable time.

Referring now to FIG. 5B, an embodiment is shown for overcominganomalies or improving accuracy in coordinate data acquired by scanner20. The process 211 starts in block 212 by scanning an object, such asobject 34, with a scanner 20. The scanner 20 may be a scanner such asthose described in the embodiments of FIG. 1, 3, 5 and FIG. 7 forexample having at least one projector and a camera. In this embodiment,the scanner 20 projects a first light pattern onto the object in block212. In one embodiment, this first light pattern is a coded structuredlight pattern. The process 211 acquires and determines thethree-dimensional coordinate data in block 214. The coordinate data isanalyzed in query block 216 to determine if there are any anomalies,such as the aforementioned multipath interference, low resolution aroundan element, or an absence of data due to surface angles or surfacereflectance changes. When an anomaly is detected, the process 211proceeds to block 218 where the light pattern emitted by the projectoris changed to a second light pattern. In an embodiment, the second lightpattern is a swept line of light.

After projecting the second light pattern, the process 211 proceeds toblock 220 where the three-dimensional coordinate data is acquired anddetermined for the area where the anomaly was detected. The process 211loops back to query block 216 where it is determined if the anomaly hasbeen resolved. If the query block 216 still detects an anomaly or lackor accuracy or resolution, the process loops back to block 218 andswitches to a third light pattern. In an embodiment, the third lightpattern is a sequential sinusoidal phase shift pattern. In anotherembodiment, the third light pattern is a swept point of light. Thisiterative procedure continues until the anomaly has been resolved. Oncecoordinate data from the area of the anomaly has been determined, theprocess 211 proceeds to block 222 where the emitted pattern is switchedback to the first structured light pattern and the scanning process iscontinued. The process 211 continues until the operator has scanned thedesired area of the object. In the event that the scanning informationobtained using the method of FIG. 11 is not satisfactory, a problem ofmeasuring with a tactile probe, as discussed herein, may be used.

Referring now to FIG. 6, another embodiment of a scanner 20 is shownmounted to a movable apparatus 120. The scanner 20 has at least oneprojector 122 and at least one camera 124 that are arranged in a fixedgeometric relationship such that trigonometric principles may be used todetermine the three-dimensional coordinates of points on the surface 32.The scanner 20 may be the same scanner as described in reference to FIG.1 or FIG. 3 for example. In one embodiment, the scanner is the same asthe scanner of FIG. 10 having a tactile probe. However the scanner usedin the embodiment of FIG. 6 may be any scanner such as a structuredlight or line scanner, for example, a scanner disclosed in commonlyowned U.S. Pat. No. 7,246,030 entitled “Portable Coordinate MeasurementMachine with Integrated Line Laser Scanner” filed on 18 Jan. 2006 whichis incorporated by reference herein. In another embodiment, the scannerused in the embodiment of FIG. 6 is a structured light scanner thatprojects light over an area on an object.

In the exemplary embodiment, the moveable apparatus 120 is a roboticapparatus that provides automated movements by means of arm segments126, 128 that are connected by pivot and swivel joints 130 to allow thearm segments 126, 128 to be moved, resulting in the scanner 20 movingfrom a first position to a second position (as indicated in dashed linein FIG. 6). The moveable apparatus 120 may include actuators, such asmotors (not shown), for example, that are coupled to the arm segments126, 128 to move the arm segments 126, 128 from the first position tothe second position. It should be appreciated that a movable apparatus120 having articulated arms is for exemplary purposes and the claimedinvention should not be so limited. In other embodiments, the scanner 20may be mounted to a movable apparatus that moves the scanner 20 viarails, wheels, tracks, belts or cables or a combination of the foregoingfor example. In other embodiments, the robot has a different number ofarm segments.

In one embodiment, the movable apparatus is an articulated armcoordinate measurement machine (AACMM) such as that described incommonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/491,176 filed on Jan.20, 2010. In this embodiment, the movement of the scanner 20 from thefirst position to the second position may involve the operator manuallymoving the arm segments 126, 128.

For an embodiment having an automated apparatus, the moveable apparatus120 further includes a controller 132 that is configured to energize theactuators to move the arm segments 126, 128. In one embodiment, thecontroller 132 communicates with a controller 134. As will be discussedin more detail below, this arrangement allows the controller 132 to movethe scanner 20 in response to an anomaly in the acquired data. It shouldbe appreciated that the controllers 132, 134 may be incorporated into asingle processing unit or the functionality may be distributed amongseveral processing units.

By carrying out an analysis with reference to FIG. 12, it is possible toposition and orient the scanner 20 to obtain the desired measurementresults. In some embodiments, a feature being measured may benefit froma desired direction of the scanner. For example, measurement of thediameter of a hole may be improved by orienting the scanner camera 124to be approximately perpendicular to the hole. In other embodiments, ascanner may be positioned so as to reduce or minimize the possibility ofmultipath interference. Such an analysis may be based on a CAD modelavailable as a part of the diagnostic procedure or it may be based ondata collected by the scanner in an initial position prior to asecondary movement of the scanner 20 by the apparatus 120.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the operation of the scanner 20 and movableapparatus 120 will be described. The process starts in block 136 withscanning the object 34 with the scanner 20 in the first position. Thescanner 20 acquires and determines coordinate data for points on thesurface 32 of the object 34 in block 138. It should be appreciated thatthe movable apparatus 120 may move the scanner 20 to acquire data onsurface points in a desired area. In query block 140, it is determinedwhether there is an anomaly in the coordinate data at point 142, such asmultipath interference for example, or whether there is a need to changedirection to obtain improved resolution or measurement accuracy. Itshould be appreciated that the point 142 of FIG. 6 may represent asingle point, a line of points or an area on the surface 32. If ananomaly or need for improved accuracy is detected, the process continuesto block 144 where the movable apparatus 120 moves the position of thescanner 20, such as from the first position to the second position, andrescans the area of interest in block 146 to acquire three-dimensionalcoordinate data. The process loops back to query block 140 where it isdetermined whether there is still an anomaly in the coordinate data orif an improvement measurement accuracy is desired. If these cases, thescanner 20 is moved again and the process continues until themeasurement results achieve a desired level. Once the coordinate data isobtained, the process proceeds from query block 140 to block 148 wherethe scanning process continues until the desired area has been scanned.

In embodiments where the scanner 20 includes a tactile probe (FIG. 10),the movement of the scanner from the first position to the secondposition may be arranged to contact the areas of interest with thetactile probe. Since the position of the scanner, and thus the tactileprobe, may be determined from the position and orientation of the armsegments 126, 128 the three-dimensional coordinates of the point on thesurface 32 may be determined.

In some embodiments, measurement results obtained by the scanner 20 ofFIGS. 8A, 8B may be corrupted by multipath interference. In other cases,measurement results may not provide the desired resolution or accuracyto properly measure some characteristics of the surface 32, especiallyedges, holes, or intricate features. In these cases, it may be desirableto have an operator use a remote probe 152 to interrogate points orareas on the surface 32. In one embodiment shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B, thescanner 20 includes a projector 156 and cameras 154, 155 arranged on anangle relative to the projector 156 such that light emitted by theprojector 156 is reflected off of the surface 32 and received by one orboth of the cameras 154, 155. The projector 156 and cameras 154,156 arearranged in a fixed geometric relationship so that trigonometricprinciples may be used to determine the three-dimensional coordinates ofpoints on the surface 32.

In one embodiment, the projector 156 is configured to emit a visiblelight 157 onto an area of interest 159 on the surface 32 of object 34 asshown in FIG. 8A. The three-dimensional coordinates of the illuminatedarea of interest 159 may be confirmed using the image of the illuminatedregion 159 on one or both of the cameras 154, 155.

The scanner 20 is configured to cooperate with the remote probe 152 sothat an operator may bring a probe tip 166 into contact with the objectsurface 132 at the illuminated region of interest 159. In an embodiment,the remote probe 152 includes at least three non-collinear points oflight 168. The points of light 168 may be spots of light produced, forexample, by light emitting diodes (LED) or reflective dots of lightilluminated by infrared or visible light source from the projector 156or from another light source not depicted in FIG. 8B. The infrared orvisible light source in this case may be attached to the scanner 20 ormay be placed external to the scanner 20. By determining thethree-dimensional coordinates of the spots of light 168 with the scannerand by using information on the geometry of the probe 152, the positionof the probe tip 166 may be determined, thereby enabling the coordinatesof the object surface 32 to be determined. A tactile probe used in thisway eliminates potential problems from multipath interference and alsoenables relatively accurate measurement of holes, edges, and detailedfeatures. In an embodiment, the probe 166 is a tactile probe, which maybe activated by pressing of an actuator button (not shown) on the probe,or the probe 166 may be a touch-trigger probe activated by contact withthe surface 32. In response to a signal produced by the actuator buttonor the touch trigger probe, a communications circuit (not shown)transmits a signal to the scanner 20. In an embodiment, the points oflight 168 are replaced with geometrical patterns of light, which mayinclude lines or curves.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a process is shown for acquiring coordinatedata for points on the surface 32 of object 34 using a stationaryscanner 20 of FIGS. 8A, 8B with a remote probe 152. The process startsin block 170 with the surface 32 of the object 34 being scanned. Theprocess acquires and determines the three-dimensional coordinate data ofthe surface 32 in block 172. The process then determines in query block174 whether there is an anomaly in the coordinate data of area 159 orwhether there is a problem in accuracy or resolution of the area 159. Ananomaly could be invalid data that is discarded due to multipathinterference for example. An anomaly could also be missing data due tosurface reflectance or a lack of resolution around a feature such as anopening or hole for example. Details on a diagnostic procedure fordetecting (identifying) multipath interference and related problems ingiven in reference to FIG. 12.

Once the area 159 has been identified, the scanner 20 indicates in block176 to the operator the coordinate data of area 159 may be acquired viathe remote probe 152. This area 159 may be indicated by emitting avisible light 157 to illuminate the area 159. In one embodiment, thelight 157 is emitted by the projector 156. The color of light 157 may bechanged to inform the operator of the type of anomaly or problem. Forexample, where multipath interference occurs, the light 157 may becolored red, while a low resolution may be colored green. The area mayfurther be indicated on a display having a graphical representation(e.g. a CAD model) of the object.

The process then proceeds to block 178 to acquire an image of the remoteprobe 152 when the sensor 166 touches the surface 32. The points oflight 168, which may be LEDs or reflective targets, for example, arereceived by one of the cameras 154, 155. Using best-fit techniques wellknown to mathematicians, the scanner 20 determines in block 180 thethree-dimensional coordinates of the probe center from whichthree-dimensional coordinates of the object surface 32 are determined inblock 180. Once the points in the area 159 where the anomaly wasdetected have been acquired, the process may proceed to continue thescan of the object 34 in block 182 until the desired areas have beenscanned.

Referring now to FIG. 10, another embodiment of the scanner 20 is shownthat may be handheld by the operator during operation. In thisembodiment, the housing 22 may include a handle 186 that allows theoperator to hold the scanner 20 during operation. The housing 22includes a projector 188 and a camera 190 arranged on an angle relativeto each other such that the light 192 emitted by the projector isreflected off of the surface 32 and received by the camera 190. Thescanner 20 of FIG. 10 operates in a manner substantially similar to theembodiments of FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 and acquires three-dimensionalcoordinate data of points on the surface 32 using trigonometricprinciples.

The scanner 20 further includes an integral probe member 184. The probemember 184 includes a sensor 194 on one end. The sensor 194 is a tactileprobe that may respond to pressing of an actuator button (not shown) byan operator or it may be a touch trigger probe that responds to contactwith the surface 32, for example. As will be discussed in more detailbelow, the probe member 184 allows the operator to acquire coordinatesof points on the surface 32 by contacting the sensor 194 to the surface32.

The projector 188, camera 190 and actuator circuit for the sensor 194are electrically coupled to a controller 50 disposed within the housing22. The controller 50 may include one or more microprocessors, digitalsignal processors, memory and signal conditioning circuits. The scanner20 may further include actuators (not shown), such as on the handle 186for example, which may be manually activated by the operator to initiateoperation and data capture by the scanner 20. In one embodiment, theimage processing to determine the X, Y, Z coordinate data of the pointcloud representing the surface 32 of object 34 is performed by thecontroller 50. The coordinate data may be stored locally such as in avolatile or nonvolatile memory 54 for example. The memory may beremovable, such as a flash drive or a memory card for example. In otherembodiments, the scanner 20 has a communications circuit 52 that allowsthe scanner 20 to transmit the coordinate data to a remote processingsystem 56. The communications medium 58 between the scanner 20 and theremote processing system 56 may be wired (e.g. Ethernet) or wireless(e.g. Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11). In one embodiment, the coordinate data isdetermined by the remote processing system 56 and the scanner 20transmits acquired images on the communications medium 58.

Referring now to FIG. 11, the operation of the scanner 20 of FIG. 10will be described. The process begins in block 196 with the operatorscanning the surface 32 of the object 34 by manually moving the scanner20. The three-dimensional coordinates are determined and acquired inblock 198. In query block 200, it is determined if an anomaly is presentin the coordinate data or if improved accuracy is needed. As discussedabove, anomalies may occur for a number of reasons such as multipathinterference, surface reflectance changes or a low resolution of afeature. If an anomaly is present, the process proceeds to block 202where the area 204 is indicated to the operator. The area 204 may beindicated by projecting a visible light 192 with the projector 188 ontothe surface 32. In one embodiment, the light 192 is colored to notifythe operator of the type of anomaly detected.

The operator then proceeds to move the scanner from a first position toa second position (indicated by the dashed lines) in block 206. In thesecond position, the sensor 194 contacts the surface 32. The positionand orientation (to six degrees of freedom) of the scanner 20 in thesecond position may be determined using well known best-fit methodsbased on images acquired by the camera 190. Since the dimensions andarrangement of the sensor 194 are known in relation to the mechanicalstructure of the scanner 20, the three-dimensional coordinate data ofthe points in area 204 may be determined in block 208. The process thenproceeds to block 210 where scanning of the object continues. Thescanning process continues until the desired area has been scanned.

A general approach may be used to evaluate not only multipathinterference but also quality in general, including resolution andeffect of material type, surface quality, and geometry. Referring alsoto FIG. 12, in an embodiment, a method 4600 may be carried outautomatically under computer control. A step 4602 is to determinewhether information on three-dimensional coordinates of an object undertest are available. A first type of three-dimensional information is CADdata. CAD data usually indicates nominal dimensions of an object undertest. A second type of three-dimensional information is measuredthree-dimensional data—for example, data previously measured with ascanner or other device. In some cases, the step 4602 may include afurther step of aligning the frame of reference of the coordinatemeasurement device, for example, laser tracker or six-DOF scanneraccessory, with the frame of reference of the object. In an embodiment,this is done by measuring at least three points on the surface of theobject with the laser tracker.

If the answer to the question posed in step 4602 is that thethree-dimensional information is available, then, in a step 4604, thecomputer or processor is used to calculate the susceptibility of theobject measurement to multipath interference. In an embodiment, this isdone by projecting each ray of light emitted by the scanner projector,and calculating the angle or reflection for each case. The computer orsoftware identifies each region of the object surface that issusceptible to error as a result of multipath interference. The step4604 may also carry out an analysis of the susceptibility to multipatherror for a variety of positions of the six-DOF probe relative to theobject under test. In some cases, multipath interference may be avoidedor minimized by selecting a suitable position and orientation of thesix-DOF probe relative to the object under test, as describedhereinabove. If the answer to the question posed in step 4602 is thatthree-dimensional information is not available, then a step 4606 is tomeasure the three-dimensional coordinates of the object surface usingany desired or preferred measurement method. Following the calculationof multipath interference, a step 4608 may be carried out to evaluateother aspects of expected scan quality. One such quality factor iswhether the resolution of the scan is sufficient for the features of theobject under test. For example, if the resolution of a device is 3 mm,and there are sub-millimeter features for which valid scan data isdesired, then these problem regions of the object should be noted forlater corrective action. Another quality factor related partly toresolution is the ability to measure edges of the object and edges ofholes. Knowledge of scanner performance will enable a determination ofwhether the scanner resolution is good enough for given edges. Anotherquality factor is the amount of light expected to be returned from agiven feature. Little if any light may be expected to be returned to thescanner from inside a small hole, for example, or from a glancing angle.Also, little light may be expected from certain kinds and colors ofmaterials. Certain types of materials may have a large depth ofpenetration for the light from the scanner, and in this case goodmeasurement results would not be expected. In some cases, an automaticprogram may ask for user supplementary information. For example, if acomputer program is carrying out steps 4604 and 4608 based on CAD data,it may not know the type of material being used or the surfacecharacteristics of the object under test. In these cases, the step 4608may include a further step of obtaining material characteristics for theobject under test.

Following the analysis of steps 4604 and 4608, the step 4610 is todecide whether further diagnostic procedures should be carried out. Afirst example of a possible diagnostic procedure is the step 4612 ofprojecting a stripe at a preferred angle to note whether multipathinterference is observed. The general indications of multipathinterference for a projected line stripe were discussed hereinabove withreference to FIG. 5. Another example of a diagnostic step is step 4614,which is to project a collection of lines aligned in the direction ofepipolar lines on the source pattern of light, for example, the sourcepattern of light 30 from projector 36 in FIG. 1. For the case in whichlines of light in the source pattern of light are aligned to theepipolar lines, then these lines will also appear as straight lines inthe image plane on the photosensitive array. The use of epipolar linesis discussed in more detail in commonly owned U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/443,946 filed Apr. 11, 2012 the contents of which areincorporated by reference herein. If these patterns on thephotosensitive array are not straight lines or if the lines are blurredor noisy, then a problem is indicated, possibly as a result of multipathinterference.

The step 4616 is to select a combination of preferred actions based onthe analyses and diagnostic procedure performed. If speed in ameasurement is particularly important, a step 4618 of measuring using a2D (structured) pattern of coded light may be preferred. If greateraccuracy is more important, then a step 4620 of measuring using a 2D(structured) pattern of coded light using sequential patterns, forexample, a sequence of sinusoidal patterns of varying phase and pitch,may be preferred. If the method 4618 or 4620 is selected, then it may bedesirable to also select a step 4628, which is to reposition thescanner, in other words to adjust the position and orientation of thescanner to the position that minimizes multipath interference andspecular reflections (glints) as provided by the analysis of step 4604.Such indications may be provided to a user by illuminating problemregions with light from the scanner projector or by displaying suchregions on a monitor display. Alternatively, the next steps in themeasurement procedure may be automatically selected by a computer orprocessor. If the preferred scanner position does not eliminatemultipath interference and glints, several options are available. Insome cases, the measurement can be repeated with the scannerrepositioned and the valid measurement results combined. In other cases,alternative measurement steps may be added to the procedure or performedinstead of using structured light. As discussed previously, a step 4622of scanning a stripe of light provides a convenient way of obtaininginformation over an area with reduced chance of having a problem frommultipath interference. A step 4624 of sweeping a small spot of lightover a region of interest further reduces the chance of problems frommultipath interference. A step of measuring a region of an objectsurface with a tactile probe eliminates the possibility of multipathinterference. A tactile probe provides a known resolution based on thesize of the probe tip, and it eliminates issues with low reflectance oflight or large optical penetration depth, which might be found in someobjects under test.

In most cases, the quality of the data collected in a combination of thesteps 4618-4628 may be evaluated in a step 4630 based on the dataobtained from the measurements, combined with the results of theanalyses carried out previously. If the quality is found to beacceptable in a step 4632, the measurement is completed at a step 4634.Otherwise, the analysis resumes at the step 4604. In some cases, the 3Dinformation may not have been as accurate as desired. In this case,repeating some of the earlier steps may be helpful.

While the invention has been described in detail in connection with onlya limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood thatthe invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, theinvention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations,alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretoforedescribed, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of theinvention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention havebeen described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention mayinclude only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, theinvention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, butis only limited by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A noncontact optical three-dimensionalmeasuring device comprising: an assembly that includes a firstprojector, a first camera, a second projector and a second camera, thefirst projector having a first light source operable to emit onto asurface of an object a first light having at least one pattern, thesecond projector having a second light source operable to emit onto thesurface of the object a second light; one or more processors forexecuting nontransitory computer readable instructions stored on acomputer readable media, the one or more processors being operablycoupled to the first projector, the first light source, the secondprojector, the second light source, and the computer readable media, thenontransitory computer readable instructions comprising: acquiring withthe first camera a first image of a first portion of the first light,the first portion of the first light being reflected by the surface;determining three-dimensional coordinates of a first point on thesurface based at least in part on the first image; determining thepresence of a multipath interference based at least in part on the firstimage; causing the assembly to move from a first position to a secondposition in response to determining the presence of multipathinterference; acquiring with the second camera a second image of asecond portion of the second light in response to moving the assemblyfrom the first position to the second position; and determiningthree-dimensional coordinates of a second point on the surface based atleast in part on the second image.
 2. The noncontact opticalthree-dimensional measuring device of claim 1 wherein the second lightis a line of light along a direction perpendicular to a direction ofpropagation of the second light.
 3. The noncontact opticalthree-dimensional measuring device of claim 1 wherein the at least onepattern includes at least three non-collinear pattern elements.
 4. Thenoncontact optical three-dimensional measuring device of claim 3 whereinthe second light includes a second pattern, the second pattern having atleast three non-collinear pattern elements.
 5. The noncontact opticalthree-dimensional measuring device of claim 2 wherein the line of lightis a line pattern that is swept in time.
 6. The noncontact opticalthree-dimensional measuring device of claim 2 wherein the line of lightis a spot of light that is swept in time.
 7. The noncontact opticalthree-dimensional measuring device of claim 1 wherein the first camerahas a first field of view and the second camera has a second field ofview, the first field of view being at least twice as large as thesecond field of view.
 8. The noncontact optical three-dimensionalmeasuring device of claim 1 wherein the first camera includes a firstphotosensitive array having a first pixel, the first pixel operable tocapture light reflected off a first area of the surface, the secondcamera includes a second photosensitive array having a second pixel, thesecond pixel operable to capture light reflected off a second area ofthe surface, wherein the second area is smaller than the first area. 9.A method of determining three-dimensional coordinates on a surface of anobject, the method comprising: providing an assembly that includes afirst projector, a first camera, a second projector and a second camera,the first projector having a first light source operable to emit onto asurface of an object a first light having at least one pattern, thesecond projector having a second light source, the second projectoroperable to emit onto the surface of the object a second light;acquiring with the first camera a first image of a first area of thesurface; determining with one or more processors three-dimensionalcoordinates of a first point on the surface based at least in part onthe first image; determining with the one or more processors thepresence of a multipath interference based at least in part on the firstimage; moving the assembly from a first position to a second position inresponse to determining the presence of multipath interference;acquiring with the second camera a second image of a second area of thesurface in response to moving the assembly from the first position tothe second position; and determining with the one or more processorsthree-dimensional coordinates of a second point on the surface based atleast in part on the second image.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein aportion of the first area overlaps a portion of the second area.
 11. Themethod of claim 10 wherein the step of moving the assembly includesdirecting an operator to move the assembly to the second position byactivating indicator lights on the assembly.
 12. The method of claim 10wherein the step of moving the assembly includes projecting a thirdlight onto the object to indicate a direction of the movement toward thesecond position.
 13. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of movingthe assembly includes indicating on a graphical representation on adisplay of a portion of the object to be scanned.
 14. The method ofclaim 10 further comprising: providing a computer-aided drawing (CAD)model of the object being measured prior to emitting the first light;verifying, based on the CAD model, the presence of multipathinterference by determining that rays of light from the first projectorare reflected from a third point of the object onto a fourth point ofthe object, wherein the fourth point is a point imaged by the firstcamera; and wherein determining the second position based at least inpart on the presence of multipath interference as determined from theCAD model.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein in the step of emittingfrom the second projector onto the surface, in a second instance, thesecond light, the second light is in the form of a line or a spot. 16.The method of claim 15 wherein in the step of emitting in the secondinstance a second light, the second light is in the form of a line thatis swept in time or a spot that is swept in time, the line of lightbeing along a direction perpendicular to a direction of propagation ofthe second light.
 17. The method of claim 10 further comprising:obtaining a plurality of three-dimensional coordinates of the surface ofthe object by scanning at least a portion of the surface; verifying,based at least in part on the obtained plurality of three-dimensionalcoordinates, the presence of multipath interference by determining thatrays of light from the first projector are reflected from a third pointof the object onto a fourth point of the object, wherein the fourthpoint is a point imaged by the first camera; and determining the secondposition based at least in part on the presence of the multipathinterference.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein, in the step ofemitting from the second projector onto the surface in a second instancethe second light, the second light is in the form of a line or a spot,the line being along a direction perpendicular to a direction ofpropagation of the second light.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein, inthe step of emitting from the second projector onto the surface, in thesecond instance, the second light, the line or the spot is swept intime.
 20. The method of claim 9 further including determining aresolution of the first set of three-dimensional coordinates.